Got a Mac? Got antivirus software running on it? I'd wager that the proportion of people who answer "yes" to both is in the region of 1%. For Windows users, it would be closer to 99%. Even this company-owned Mac on which I'm typing doesn't have any antivirus running, which either indicates mad optimism by the company, or base pragmatism: that there's no malware for the Mac that can do any (significant) harm to a machine from a non-admin account.

"Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC), makers of Norton security software, today announced the new Norton AntiVirus™ Dual Protection for Mac®, featuring vulnerability protection technology and antivirus for Mac users running Boot Camp or Windows virtualisation software -- programs that allow users to run both Mac OS X Leopard and Windows operating systems. This solution provides comprehensive protection from both Mac and Windows-based vulnerabilities and viruses. With this dual protection functionality, Mac users benefit by receiving both the number one selling Mac antivirus solution – Norton AntiVirus 11 for Mac – and the award-winning antivirus and vulnerability protection of Norton AntiVirus 2008 for Windows."

So it's Windows protection, for Windows. Except it's also got the number one selling AV solution for the Mac (I think there's a free one - which I bet gets more downloads). How many people need that, then?

Back to Symantec:

"As the popularity of parallel operating systems increases, Mac users are at increased risk of vulnerabilities and viruses from threats targeted at both Macs and PCs. This is why an extra layer of security is needed – to ensure users are protected against both sets of threats," said Con Mallon, Director of Product Marketing, Symantec Corp. "Norton AntiVirus with dual protection gives Mac users peace-of-mind as it silently protects them from both Leopard and Window's-based attacks" stated Con.

Look, it may just be me, but I've been making it a prediction for the year head for some years that "there won't be a self-propagating worm for
OSX
OS X" and not been wrong once. The only risky Mac malware I know of is the DNS Changer, for which you have to install some "codecs" in order (you're told) to see some pr0n. (That's what's on offer at the forums on Macvirus.org - no, don't go there - and which Alex Eckelberry has blogged about. [Thanks, gollygoshgolly.])

That aside, not much really to worry about. Does Symantec know something I don't? Do you?